I’ve been looking at this information about Teodoro de Alba for quite a while and it remains a puzzle to me. Perhaps because we had so little information to start with, it is difficult to trust the evidence once it appears.

One of my great grandfathers, Theodore “Dad” Alby was from Mexico. His birth name was Teodoro de Alba. The family story has it that he was born in San Juan de los Lagos, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico and crossed into the USA when he was still a teenager. His mother’s last name was Gonzales and his father’s was Alba. We don’t have their first names. He had two brothers, Francisco and Miguel. He disliked his father who he said was Spanish and abandoned the family. His mother then took the children to live with her parents. We have no family letters, photos or other documents to verify any of this information. He died several years before I was born and his children have long since passed as well.

When Teodoro applied for citizenship in the 1930s, he stated that he was born on Nov. 9, 1856 and crossed the border at Laredo, Texas in July 1876. For the next 15 years we he is said to have been a cowboy on various ranches in Texas. In 1891, he married my g-grandmother in Bonham, Texas, and the remainder of his life is pretty well documented.

With guidance from Joseph, Armando and other on NR, I searched through microfilm of Catholic parish records from Mexico and found two documents of interest. The first records a christening dated 28 Nov. 1858 for Teodora, a daughter born twenty days earlier to Anastacio de Alba and Mariana Gonzales. The second is a marriage record dated June 17, 1876 for Teodoro de Alba, 18 years of age, whose parents are also Anastacio de Alba and Mariana Gonzales. This was long before sex change operations, so it seems most likely to me that the priest made a mistake and these two documents refer to the same person. Also, if you compute Teodora's birth date to 20 days before Nov 28 it would be Nov. 8, just one day off from Nov. 9, the day my g-grandfather listed as his birthday on his immigration papers.

Anastacio de Alba and Mariana Gonzales also appear in other church records indicating they had two other sons, Jose Miguel de Alba and Francisco de Alba. This aligns with our family story of Teodoro having two brothers named Francisco and Miguel.

It is possible that I'm grasping at straws here, and this Teodoro/a is unrelated to my ancestor. However, I have found no other record of his existence in Mexico. And, I have seen enough errors in census and other official records to know that pretty much any mistake is possible. So what do you think? Did the priest make a mistake? Do enough facts line up to constitute a "preponderance of evidence". How likely is this to be my Mexican family?

Please excuse my lousy translations (and feel free to correct). And thanks for looking,
Steve Compton

Christening Record for Teodora de Alva
Ledesema, Jalisco, Mexico
En la Iglesia de Ledesema, en la parroquia de Ojuelos, en veinte ocho de Noviembre, de mil ocho ciento ciencuenta y ocho, yo el Presbitero Don Sebastian Merondo, con licencia parroco, bautise solemnemente a Teodora de veinte dias a las tres de la tarde en Palo-alto, hija legitima de Anatascio de Alva y de Mariana Gonsales. Abuelos paternos Antonio de Alva y Feliciana Jaime. Abuelos maternos Relles Gonsales y Sanjuana Guzman fueron sus Padrinos Dario de Alva y Isabel Jamie a quienes adverti su obligacion y para que conste lo firme,
Sebastian Merondo

Translation:
In the Church of Ledesma, parish of Ojuelos, on the 28th of November, 1858, I the priest Don Sebastian Merondo, with parish license, solemnly baptize Teodora, born 20 days ago at three in the afternoon in Palo Alto, legitimate daughter of Anastasio Alva and of Mariana Gonsales. Paternal grandparents Antonio de Alva and Feliciana Jaime. Maternal grandparents Relles (Reyes) Gonsales and Sanjuana Guzman. The godparents Dario de Alva and Isabel Jamie who were advised of their obligations and witnessed by my signature,
Sebastian Merondo

Marriage record for Teodoro de Alva
San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Mexico
En las ciudad de San Juan a siete de Junio de mil ochociento setenta y seis, yo el Presbitero Don Tebronio Ponce, Teniente de Cura de esta parroquia, con licencia del San Cural, habiendose practicado la correspondente informacion matrimonial, precedida que fueron tres amonestaciones en los dias veinticinco, veintiseis de Marzo, y dos de Abril de presente ano, de que no result impedimiento alguno, habiendo confesado y comulgado e instruidos en los doctrinas cristianas, case y vele infaccie ecclecial al Teodoro de Alva, originario y vecino de esta feligresia en el rancho de Frujillos, soltero de diesyocho anos de edad; hijo legitimo de Anastasio de Alva, difunto y de Mariana Gonzales que vive. Con Ysabel Guerrero, originaria de la feligr’ de Jalos en el rancho de Labor de Abalsa y vecina de esta Fruqillos hace cuatro anos, celibe de dies y nueve anos de edad hija natural de Maria Jorge Placencia que vive, fueron sus padrinos Francisco de Alva y Proniacia Peones; y testigos Don Elieco Gallardo e Yldefonzo Gutierres, lo que para constancia firme con el San Cural,
Sr. Jacinto Reynosa

Translation:
In the city of San Juan (de los Lagos) on June 7, 1876, I the priest Don Febronio Ponce, deputy (or interim) priest of this parish, with license of holy church, three admonitions that were preceded on the 25th of March and 2nd of April of this year that resulted in no impediment whatsoever, having confessed and received communion and instructed in Christian doctrines, marry and ensure in the presence of the congregation Teodoro de Alba, native and resident of this parish in the Frujillos ranch, a single man 18 years of age, legitimate son of Anastasio de Alva, deceased and Mariana Gonzales, living, with Isabel Guerrero, native of the parish of Jalos in the Labor of Abalsa ranch and resident of this parish for four years, virgin 19 years of age, natural daughter of Maria Jorge Placencia, living. The marriage godparents are Francisco de Alva and Proniacia Peones; and witnesses Don Elieco Gallardo and Idelfonzo Gutierres. Witnessed by the signature of the holy church,
Sr. Jacinto Reynosa